Tests and Examinations

News about tests and examinations, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 28, 2015

Memo released by New York City Education Dept says former Teachers College Community School principal Jeanene Worrell-Breeden, who committed suicide on April 17, acknowledged that she forged answers on students’ state English exams because students had not finished tests. MORE

Jul. 27, 2015

Results of several dozen standardized tests taken by third graders at prestigious Teachers College Community School in Harlem are invalidated due to improprieties by principal Jeanene Worrell-Breeden, who committed suicide in April after allegations were leveled. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

New York State Education Dept awards Questar Assessments five-year, $44 million contract to develop assessment tests for students in third though eighth grades. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

Both houses of Congress have begun efforts to overhaul No Child Left Behind education law, focusing on much-criticized high-stakes testing and punishments doled out to schools that do not measure up; proposed means of altering federal involvement in schools differ greatly, with House passing partisan bill opposed by Democrats and Senate seeking middle ground. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Thirteen Metro-North employees are charged with cheating and helping others cheat on train conductor and engineer exams; 12 are arrested and plead not guilty; four of accused are fired and nine are suspended. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

New York State legislators approve law allowing teachers and administrators to discuss certain standardized test questions, but only those publicly released by state; educators had been barred from discussing questions by signing confidentiality agreements. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Thousands of French high school students sign petition on social media site protesting a question that appeared on national exam to earn high school degree; students contend use of words like 'coping,' English word that has no direct translation in French, made parts of test incomprehensible and unfair. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Teaching experience is not required for those employees who have been hired to grade Common Core tests, prompting many concerns from educators. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

States that have introduced more stringent teacher licensing exams are faced with question of whether new exams are racially biased, as minority candidates have been performing particularly poorly; trend is threatening to derail goal of diversifying teacher population to better reflect student demographic, and some states have delayed implementing new tests or loosened requirements until analyses can determine whether they are discriminatory. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Jordan Ellenberg warns that states that have discarded Common Core education standards are simply replacing them with essentially same standards, due to fact that standardized testing is required as part of federal funding; notes change is largely cosmetic, abandoning Common Core brand while keeping in place many of its methods; suggests true change can only come by focusing on attracting the best teachers. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

Thousands of high school students in Brazzaville, Point Noire and Dolisie in Republic of Congo stage violent protests over government's decision to cancel exams of graduating students after test questions were leaked and shared on social media. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

Federal Judge Kimba M Wood rules that Liberal Arts and Sciences Test administered from 2004 to 2012 to assess New York teaching candidates was racially discriminatory; finds that Evaluation Systems, which made test under name National Evaluation Systems, went about process in backwards manner. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Small movement urging parents in New York State to reject standardized tests has grown significantly; at least 165,000 children, or one in six in state, have sat out of at least one test so far in 2015, more than double the number in 2014; rebuke has had political impact, with state legislators rushing to introduce measures that allow such refusals; movement has been setback for Gov Andrew M Cuomo, who has increased the weight of testing in teacher evaluations. MORE

May. 6, 2015

New York State will adopt standard bar examination developed by National Conference of Bar Examiners, which will give lawyers flexibility to move and practice in other states; 15 states already use test but New York is so far the largest; in addition to standard exam, new plan will require lawyers to take online course and pass short multiple-choice test on state-specific law before becoming licensed in New York. MORE

May. 1, 2015

Judge Jerry W Baxter reduces sentences for three former Atlanta administrators in cheating case from seven years in prison to three. MORE

Apr. 24, 2015

Advocates supporting children's rights to sit out state tests in New York are targeting districts that require students to sit quietly in classrooms and do nothing; more districts are offering backup activities on testing days. MORE

Apr. 21, 2015

Teachers' unions nationwide are pushing back on annual tests given to elementary and middle school students, after years of being criticized on issues like tenure, collective bargaining rights and teacher evaluations; push against testing comes as Congress considers how to revise 2001 No Child Left Behind law, which emphasizes test scores and punitive measures for failing schools; unions are working closely with parents who oppose rigorous testing called for by Common Core. MORE

Apr. 15, 2015

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry W Baxter sentences eight of 10 educators convicted of racketeering in Atlanta public school cheating scandal to prison terms of up to seven years; unexpectedly stiff sentences are handed down after educators refused to take sentencing deals that were predicated on their acceptance of responsibility and waiver of right to appeal. MORE

Apr. 14, 2015

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry W Baxter urges prosecutors and defense lawyers to work out appropriate sentencing deal for 10 Atlanta public school educators, all convicted of racketeering and other charges in one of nation's largest school cheating scandals. MORE

Apr. 8, 2015

Federal Judge Kimba M Wood will review New York State teacher exam for signs that it is discriminatory against black and Hispanic applicants, who have been passing test at lower rates. MORE

Apr. 6, 2015

Internal memo reveals that FBI has mandated fitness test for its agents for first time in 16 years; memo from director James B Comey reveals concern for agency's image, as well as concerns that agents have had less time for personal fitness due to systemic changes in years following Sept 11 attacks. MORE

Apr. 2, 2015

Fulton County Superior Court jury convicts 11 of 12 Atlanta educators accused of racketeering in standardized test cheating scandal; felony carries up to 20 years in prison; many of defendants are also convicted of other charges that could add years more to sentences; 2013 indictments followed years of questions about how Atlanta students had significantly improved scores on statewide test. MORE

Mar. 25, 2015

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column examines pitfalls of system of rewarding or punishing teachers depending on their students' performances on standardized tests, some variation of which will be implemented in most of United States by 2017; assesses arguments both for and against such systems, and underscores degree to which unintended consequences can be mitigated by successful implementation and review. MORE

Mar. 22, 2015

No Child Left Behind Law, which has been criticized by both parents and teachers as over-reliant on testing, is facing possibility of rewrite that would eliminate punishments for schools that fail to meet testing standards; some warn that new version of law could allow states to lower academic standards or reduce funds for needy schools. MORE

Mar. 20, 2015

Law school deans and some state legal establishments are among those scrutinizing traditional bar exam, exploring other options for law school graduates than a single written test as only portal to legal profession. MORE

Mar. 17, 2015

Closing arguments begin in trial of 12 Atlanta educators accused of cheating in connection with significant increases in Atlanta public school test scores; prosecutors accuse defendants of endemic cheating and criminal misconduct that includes racketeering; educators could face decades in prison if convicted. MORE

Mar. 9, 2015

Prospective New York City taxi drivers will no longer face rigorous 80-question geography test; New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission officials say new, simplified exam acknowledges emergence of GPS navigation, allowing test to cover more safety issues; industry experts say new test also reflects need to compete with emerging services like Uber and Lyft, whose drivers are not required to obtain hack licenses. MORE

Mar. 2, 2015

New standardized educational tests meant to assess progress under Common Core standards have encountered an unusually broad opposition coalition, with parents in New Jersey and several other states pushing their children to opt out; opponents include diverse set of parents, teachers' unions and those who negatively associate new standards with Pres Obama. MORE

Feb. 17, 2015

Feb. 8, 2015

Interview with Lani Guinier, first tenured woman of color at Harvard Law School who is polarizing political figure in her fight for more equal representation on campuses; Guinier discusses dangers of over-reliance on test scores for college admissions and benefits of diverse student population. MORE

Feb. 7, 2015

Op-Ed article by education specialist Chad Aldeman holds that rollback of No Child Left Behind law would be damaging to nation's students; contends while some find frequent testing burdensome, it allows for close monitoring of student progress and more nuanced view of student performance; asserts that strongest argument for keeping No Child Left Behind is that it is working. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Arizona is first state to enact law which requires high school students to pass citizenship exam to graduate; critics say test takes away from valuable instruction time and simply requires memorization to pass, whereas teaching civics supports critical thinking and student engagement; other states are considering similar bill. MORE

Jan. 27, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that city schools will close ahead of snowstorm, giving some students a reprieve from pending Regents exams. MORE

Jan. 13, 2015

Education Sec Arne Duncan discusses Obama administration's priorities for revising No Child Left Behind law; says annual testing for students is important. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Thousands of students from around the secluded town of Maotanchang in China's eastern Anhui province attend its high school to prepare for annual national college-entrance examination known as gaokao; Maotanchang is unique in that its sole industry is cram schools, where students study for gaokao 16 hours a day, seven days a week; gaokao has come under fire pressure it puts on students, as it is sole criterion on which college admission is based. MORE

Dec. 28, 2014

Op-Ed article by Prof David L Kirp contends that backlash against Common Core standards occurring across United States is being driven by Obama administration's over-emphasis on accountability and standardized testing; holds that emphasis has reinforced mistaken belief that testing is equivalent to Common Core and suggests it will take tremendous effort to get standards back on track. MORE

Dec. 16, 2014

Op-Ed article by Dr Danielle Ofri holds decennial recertification process is bloated, costing doctors an inordinate amount of time and money that exacts toll on their practice; cites research finding that recertification does not produce better medical outcomes for patients; calls for simplified process that focuses on relevant updates to medical knowledge and uses open-book method. MORE

Dec. 9, 2014

Small number of students at Columbia Law School have been granted postponements of their final exams; allowances follow decision by Columbia to allow a delay for any students feeling undermined and disheartened by grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in deaths of unarmed black men in New York City and Ferguson, Mo. MORE

Nov. 23, 2014

News analysis; research supports those parents and teachers protesting standardized testing increasingly common in schools across nation; experiments show that giving students tests of varying length and intensity, going beyond just basic assessment, can deepen learning experience and create more deeply embedded memories of subject matter. MORE

Nov. 20, 2014

New York State officials announce roughly 20 percent drop in the number of candidates who passed teacher certification tests in the 2013-14 school year; drop-off reflects tougher exams, with officials portraying result as a long-needed move to raise the level of teaching and the performance of teacher preparation schools. MORE

Nov. 10, 2014

Parents and educators across Florida have joined national protest against consequences of Common Core testing; furor in Florida is particularly striking for state that was pioneer in school accountability. MORE

Nov. 2, 2014

Taking good lecture notes in college helps improve test performance; marketplace of class notes up for sale on sites like Flashnotes.com have started up on five campuses, and many professors have barred their students from buying or selling notes. MORE

Nov. 2, 2014

Sampling of how Advanced Placement studio art programs evaluate and score high school students' portfolios are discussed. MORE

Oct. 21, 2014

New York State Board of Regents gives initial approval to a major change to high school graduation requirements, allowing students to earn their diplomas with one fewer test if they pass another assessment in a variety of alternative subjects, including 13 vocational assessments. MORE

Oct. 7, 2014

Kenneth Chang STEM column discusses mathematics part of Common Core academic standards, specifying math skills that should be mastered in kindergarten through high school. MORE

Oct. 6, 2014

Getting a good grade doesn’t mean you retained the information. In his book, Benedict Carey offers better ways than cramming for you to hold on to knowledge. MORE

Sep. 30, 2014

Criminal trial begins for 12 public school educators in Atlanta accused of conspiring to change student's test scores in effort to protect their jobs and win favor and bonuses from administrators begins; all have pleaded not guilty. MORE

Sep. 7, 2014

Education community has been excited by studies that have found that testing students at the beginning of courses helps students' performances improve; basic insight is that pretesting may be the key to studying, rather than the other way around. MORE

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